What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 29 July, 2013 at approximately 1936 local, two pilots in a Mooney M20J, N4570H experienced engine power reduction while maneuvering at 1500FT AGL near st. mary?s county airport (2W6). The engine was operating at a low speed but failed to respond to throttle input. The pilot in command checked fuel selector switched the boost pump on and cycled power levers with no result. The pilot picked a field and performed a power off, flaps up gear up landing. The aircraft skidded through the cleared field and impacted the fence line, spinning around 180 degrees. The trees and fence post imbedded in the fence line tore off the outer three feet of the right wing and damaged the right wing root area. The left wing suffered tree damage at the wing root which also struck the front left cockpit area, breaking out the windshield and deforming the canopy structure. The left wing was also damaged approximately six feet and ten feet from the fuselage. The fuel tank on the left wing was deformed and drained the fuel out in the field. The right wing tank was half full.
As the FAA filed it
ON 29 JULY, 2013 AT APPROXIMATELY 1936 LOCAL, TWO PILOTS IN A MOONEY M20J, N4570H EXPERIENCED ENGINE POWER REDUCTION WHILE MANEUVERING AT 1500FT AGL NEAR ST. MARY?S COUNTY AIRPORT (2W6). THE ENGINE WAS OPERATING AT A LOW SPEED BUT FAILED TO RESPOND TO THROTTLE INPUT. THE PILOT IN COMMAND CHECKED FUEL SELECTOR SWITCHED THE BOOST PUMP ON AND CYCLED POWER LEVERS WITH NO RESULT. THE PILOT PICKED A FIELD AND PERFORMED A POWER OFF, FLAPS UP GEAR UP LANDING. THE AIRCRAFT SKIDDED THROUGH THE CLEARED FIELD AND IMPACTED THE FENCE LINE, SPINNING AROUND 180 DEGREES. THE TREES AND FENCE POST IMBEDDED IN THE FENCE LINE TORE OFF THE OUTER THREE FEET OF THE RIGHT WING AND DAMAGED THE RIGHT WING ROOT AREA. THE LEFT WING SUFFERED TREE DAMAGE AT THE WING ROOT WHICH ALSO STRUCK THE FRONT LEFT COCKPIT AREA, BREAKING OUT THE WINDSHIELD AND DEFORMING THE CANOPY STRUCTURE. THE LEFT WING WAS ALSO DAMAGED APPROXIMATELY SIX FEET AND TEN FEET FROM THE FUSELAGE. THE FUEL TANK ON THE LEFT WING WAS DEFORMED AND DRAINED THE FUEL OUT IN THE FIELD. THE RIGHT WING TANK WAS HALF FULL.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.